


The House

by Karla_Writes



Category: Free!
Genre: Budding Love, Fluff, Halloween, Haunted Houses, M/M, Short One Shot, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:23:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2540936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karla_Writes/pseuds/Karla_Writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trick-or-treating isn't all the twins want to do on Halloween night, much to Makoto's dismay. But, perhaps, Kisumi could help him through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The House

**Author's Note:**

> All I could churn out for Halloween.
> 
> Crossposted on my tumblr: [orcaliciousity](http://orcaliciousity.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20fic)

“Poof, you’re a frog.” 

“Stop it, Ran.”

“Poof, jump froggy jump!” 

“Raaan.”

“Poof, frogs can’t talk, now—”

“Onii-chan, tell her to stop.” Ren whined, pulling on Makoto’s arm. All he has to do was look down at the giggling girl to get a murmured apology. She twirled the wand in her hand up toward the sky.

“I wish I could really do magic.” Ran sighed wistfully. Ren shook his head furiously, his mask nearly falling off.

Makoto chuckled. They’d been out trick-or-treating for almost three hours now. The surrounding houses had mostly been empty, so they’d wandered further into town. So far, both Ren and Ran had a hefty amount of candy in their bags, but they refused to go back home until they visited _The House_.

Makoto shuddered just thinking of it. 

The House belonged to a pair of middle-aged women. Every year, on the final days of October, they set up a small haunted house on their front yard. Though, modest, it scared most of the brave visitors that dared enter it. Makoto remembered going there once with Haru when they were children, and knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to the other side. Yet, Ren and Ran had begged him all month to take them there, and, really, Makoto could never refuse them. 

“How much further, Onii-chan?” Ren asked. Makoto looked down the road, spotting a few other trick-or-treaters scurrying from house to house. The House was still ways away, maybe ten more minutes of walking. 

“We’re close, but how about you guys stop on these houses. Make the candy last until New Year.” He grinned down at them. His siblings exchanged happy glances before darting toward the houses.

“Ah, wait, don’t run!” Makoto chased after them, hearing twin giggles as he did. 

When he caught up to them they were already on the porch of one of the houses. He walked toward them, still trying to figure out a way to convince them of not going to The House. He was so deep in thought that he missed the voice calling out to him. 

“…Makoto.”

He jumped when a hand fell on his shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” The familiar voice had him whipping around to face the other.

“K-Kisumi.” Makoto breathed out, hand over his chest. There was no way he was going to survive The House when he was already so jumpy. 

“What are you doing here?” Makoto asked just as Ren and Ran rushed to his side. Kisumi greeted them with soft smile and a wave which the twins returned enthusiastically before he answered.

“I just dropped off Hayato. I’m going to the haunted house, but he’s still too young to come with me.” Makoto nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly. 

“We’re going there too!” Ran said then, hopping on the heels of her feet. Makoto just gave a wary smile.

“Well, do you mind if I come along with you guys?” Kisumi asked, though he directed the question at Makoto his eyes were on the twins. Makoto couldn’t refuse when Ren and Ran’s sparkling eyes bore into his. 

Now there really was no way out of it.

“You don’t really want to be here, huh?” The question was just above a whisper. They’d finally made it to The House and were currently standing in line. There was a small group ahead of them getting ready to enter, then they were next. 

Makoto gulped, praying to whatever deity was above to help him through it. 

“I’ll take your silence as a no.” Makoto turned to find a grinning Kisumi. How on earth could he be smiling at a time like this?

“I-I’ll be okay.” Makoto lied. He’d promised Ren and Ran, and he’d be damned if he let them go in alone. What kind of an older brother would that make him? A cowardly, useless, spineless one. 

The group of teens in front of them disappeared behind the black tent.

They were next. 

A muffled scream had him flinching back and bumping into Kisumi’s arm. 

“S-sorry.” Makoto mumbled, forcing a smile when the twins looked up at him. 

“We’re next, we’re next.” Ren cheered excitedly as a terribly gruesome looking clown emerged from the tent and beckoned them forward before disappearing. Makoto tensed up as the twins hurried forward. He could it. He could do it. Just a deep breath, happy thoughts, and the constant reminder that none of it was real should help him through it.

“Just don’t let go.” The words brushed against his ear as a strong, warm hand wrapped around his trembling one. Makoto’s feet moved on their own toward the ominous tent, his heart pounding in his ears. The fear was still present, but having Kisumi’s hand for support made him feel less jittery. His shaking ceased and he no longer felt like crawling out of his skin.

…

“Ah, I thought I was going to faint!” Ran giggled, her hand still tightly clasped around Ren’s.

“”I’d never heard Nii-chan scream so loud.” Ren added. 

Makoto’s blush intensified, the pink color reaching the tip of his ears and neck. He had screamed, only once at the very end, but only because he had been caught by surprise. He’d thought he’d made it the whole way through without getting too scared and had failed to notice the horrifying creature crouching just before the exit. As they’d walked past it, the thing jumped and had Makoto screaming for salvation while trying to crawl on top of Kisumi. 

He’d never live it down.

“I was prepared to carry you out of there, just so you know.” Kisumi teased, tightening his grip on Makoto’s hand. 

Wait, they were still holding hands. 

Makoto was sure that if he blushed any harder, smoke would be coming out of his ears. 

“Um, I’m okay now, so you don’t have to…” Makoto trailed off, tugging on his hand. He peered up at Kisumi when the other didn’t reply or release his hand. He was met with a gentle gaze. 

“You’re adorable, Makoto.” Kisumi said, his lips curving.

The words were so unexpected that Makoto’s mouth formed around a silent gasp. Something in the back of Makoto’s mind clicked then. All those text messages at odd times during the day, those long talks after training sessions with Hayato, and those group outings where, by some reason or other, only he and Kisumi could make. They all made sense now.

Or, at least he hoped they did. 

“If you don’t mind, could we keep our hands like this a while longer?” Makoto could only nod, far too dazed to form coherent words. 

Ren and Ran’s chattering rivaled the erratic beats of his poor heart. It thumped against his chest and echoed in his head, but it wasn’t out of fear.

No, this time his heart was drumming out of pure joy.


End file.
